NBA League Pass Broadband - Stand-Alone?

[D21]

NBA League Pass is fine as it is, I don't know why anyone would complain about pricing. 6 Years straight and counting bitches.

The problem is not so much on the price, but that it's not available everywhere while everybody wants it around the world (and it would be better for NBA and NBA fans).
It's complicated to get deals with cable/sat TV channels in every countries, but it's easy to give a broadband service to everybody (like NHL).

International fans and US/Canadian who can't have a cable/sat offer would also be ready to pay for the same "league pass" with TV+Broadband, but it's not available for them.

The best would be to keep "NBA League Pass" as it's now, but allow to subscribe to "NBA League Pass Broadband" for all people who can't subscribe to "NBA League Pass".

[Michael Phelps]

It's not available around the world? Hmm, maybe it has to do with signal issues or something like that. I mean some countries have to be at the game with their own commentators for them to even get the game. That means that they have to be able to host it and not be transferring it from American signals.

[D21]

No, that's not the problem. Even some foreign TV channels that show some games have part of these games being in original signal, with US local commentator.

And in every countries, lots of people are OK with English commentator.
They come at the game only for NBA Finals most of the time.

So instead of getting deals with lots of foreign cable/sat provider to offer "NBA League Pass" with TV+Broadband, the NBA has just to offer "NBA League Pass Broadband" only to everybody that want to subscribe to it. During the free preview week of last season, everybody around the world was able to choose a game from NBA LP Broadband, but once the free preview was ended, most of them were not allowed to subscribe. (and the ones, from allowed countries, who succeeded got some problems later in the season because the NBA change his security system).

Now, it's possible that there are deals still running in some countries already broadcasting some TV games, and that NBA has to wait for the end of these deals to be able to offer "NBA LP Broadband" everywhere... but they have to say it. Each year, lots of foreign fans are asking if they will be able to subscribe, and each year, they said "we are not ready at this moment, we will say it later in the season..." and no easy offer comes, while you can subscribe for NHL or NFL from lots of countries.

Using the original US signal is OK, maybe the only thing they would have to do for some countries is not showing the advertisings because of rights, but it's easy to do.
Even the NCAA is offering (and for free) the coverage of March Madness from everywhere in the world, while the signal still shows the US advertisings.

[MagicalMan]

I asked this question last year and they responded that at the time it was not available. Might be now though.......

http://www.nba.com/broadband/league_pass_faq.html

NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband is not sold as a stand-alone product. You must be an active NBA LEAGUE PASS satellite or digital cable subscriber to get NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband.

Lame.

whats lame is having Charter for my cable company. They dont even offer NBA League Pass, so i cant even purchase it to take advantage of the broadband portion.

[Sedale Threatt]

I'm in the same boat with ATT. Overall, their service is light years ahead of the digital provider in my area. But they don't offer League Pass, so it's moot. I'm lucky in that a buddy of mine lives in another city and I'll be able to piggy back off his subscription. But it makes absolutely no sense that the NBA is so far behind other leagues in this regard, especially considering how aggressive they've been in terms of developing new markets overseas.

[D21]

Even the Euroleague is ahead of the NBA for the Broadband offer.

http://euroleague2008.infrontams.biz/pubb/buy.php

There's no price for this season yet, but it should be the same than last season (€69.90 for all the games including playoffs and Final four, €29.90 for one team, and €3.90 or €4.90 for a daily pass).

And I think you can subscribe from everywhere, you just have blackout if a tea from your country is broadcast at the same time on a TV channel.

EDIT: price are €79.90 , €69.90 and €5.90.

[bgassassin]

I was trying to find more info and came across this thread.

http://www.nba.com/leaguepass/online.html

It seems this option is available now and I was trying see if anyone knew any pricing info yet?

[BiNARYstar]

I was trying to find more info and came across this thread.

http://www.nba.com/leaguepass/online.html

It seems this option is available now and I was trying see if anyone knew any pricing info yet?

Interesting... lets hope it can finally be purchased as a stand-alone product!

[bayrdbandit]

I was trying to find more info and came across this thread.

http://www.nba.com/leaguepass/online.html

It seems this option is available now and I was trying see if anyone knew any pricing info yet?

brilliant. how the hell do you get to that page? i can't seem to find any links to it in nba.com... is it perhaps meant to be kept under wraps for the time being?

hopefully it won't block out international fans.

if this is true and ready to roll, my wife will kill me.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

This would be fantastic news for me. I've been agonizing about whether to buy league pass, since I'm moving sometime around late December/early January. Do I really want to buy LP twice? On the other hand, do I really want to not watch my Bucks this season?

Buying it online would be the perfect solution.

[Michael Phelps]

Yeah, watch the price be like $70.. some of guys will flip out.. I'm glad I have it on Dish, I get both

[bayrdbandit]

Yeah, watch the price be like $70.. some of guys will flip out.. I'm glad I have it on Dish, I get both

$70? you're dreaming. it'll be around the $150 mark.

[jax98]

The supposed countries were:
1. Australia 2. Belgium 3. Czech Republic 4. Denmark 5. Finland 6. Greece 7. Hungary 8. India 9. Netherlands 10. New Zealand 11. Norway 12. Poland 13. Portugal 14. Serbia 15. Sweden 16. UK

I don't know if it was working for all the 16 countries, ad don't know if it will be extended this year.
But it's sure the NBA is completely out of reality, they have to realize more countries want it, some games being already on TV or not.

I live in Denmark, and nothing has been offered to me or anyone I know. I even contacted several different people, and all I got were (Please Use More Appropriate Word) answers that avoided my questions.

Each and every time I try to order League Pass on my own, it takes me to a shopping cart where there's no options to select from there. Frustrating as all hell.

The NBA has done a poor job of expanding their TV packages. For a league so internation (Stern's words, not mine) you would assume they would do a better job.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

Stern, want to know how you can help the 25 teams that are not profitable?

[Sloanfeld]

I signed up for the all-access and don't see it on the standalone player.

If anyone wants to sell me their league pass broadband username and password I'll send you a paypal payment. Please e-mail sloanfeld@yahoo.com, and if possible tell me if you have any blackouts on a team. Don't reply here to this. If you're in the Utah market this won't work since their games will be blacked out for me.

[GuyverADL]

I think some of you guys need to be careful I think the blackouts might be IP address based.

[Lake Dynasty]

I live in Denmark, and nothing has been offered to me or anyone I know. I even contacted several different people, and all I got were (Please Use More Appropriate Word) answers that avoided my questions.

Each and every time I try to order League Pass on my own, it takes me to a shopping cart where there's no options to select from there. Frustrating as all hell.

The NBA has done a poor job of expanding their TV packages. For a league so internation (Stern's words, not mine) you would assume they would do a better job.

I am trying to order it as well and same problem. I live in NZ (on the list of countries that should get that deal). These guys are useless, customers trying everything to buy their product but cant for no good reason

I guess its back to justin tv

[Michael Phelps]

Yeah, watch the price be like $70.. some of guys will flip out.. I'm glad I have it on Dish, I get both

$70? you're dreaming. it'll be around the $150 mark.

Then people will get ripped the **** off for that and that's just for broadband? lmao I got mine for $140 and that's with satellite coverage. I don't even use broadband that much, but I'm sure it'll be less than $100 for JUST broadband.

[jax98]

I am trying to order it as well and same problem. I live in NZ (on the list of countries that should get that deal). These guys are useless, customers trying everything to buy their product but cant for no good reason

I guess its back to justin tv

You could share costs with someone. Contact an american from your fan base that lives outside LA. Make him an offer for the league pass broadband code. Say half the price? That way both of you save money.

[bayrdbandit]

Yeah, watch the price be like $70.. some of guys will flip out.. I'm glad I have it on Dish, I get both

$70? you're dreaming. it'll be around the $150 mark.

Then people will get ripped the **** off for that and that's just for broadband? lmao I got mine for $140 and that's with satellite coverage. I don't even use broadband that much, but I'm sure it'll be less than $100 for JUST broadband.

if the quality is as good as they say it is, i don't think that's too much to pay to be able to see every nba game. especially when you're unable to get coverage at all - zero, none.

so here's my situation and options:

a) cruddy looking chinese streams online

...or

b) no nba at all

...or

c) espn on australian cable, getting 2 games (not of my choice) per week @ $50 per month

...or

d) any and every game in a high res for $150 per season.

tough call, but i think i'll take option d.